Telegraph transmitter



Jan. '1, 1924 1,479,688

F. W. WRIGHT TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER Filed Feb. 6. 1922 Patented Jan. 1,1924.

UNITED STATES FREEMAN W. WRIGHT, OF VENEZIA, ARIZONA.

TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

Application filed February 6, 1922. Serial No. 534,327.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREEMAN W. WVRIGHT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Venezia, in the county ofYavapai and State of Arizona, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Telegraph Transmitters, of which the following is aspecification.

Thisv invention relates to automatic telegraph transmitters used inapparatus for teaching telegraphy; and it consists in the novelconstruction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully describedand claimed whereby a reception of the same message or sequence oftelegraphic characters is prevented.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a telegraph transmitterconstructed according to this invention, and with some of the characterwheels omitted. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side viewshowing a set of three character wheels, each having a different numberof characters. Fig. 4: is a diagram showing the electric circuit.

When students are learning to receive messages, the most efficientpractice copy to send them is a jumbled series of letters, numerals andsignals, the sequence of which is being constantly changed, so that itis impossible for the student to anticipate what he is going to receive,or to memorize what he receives. A transmitter constructed according tothis invention is preferably driven continuously by any approved meansor motor, and it affords the student practice of the best possible kind.

The instrument has a base 7 preferably formed of insulating material. Acam wheel 8 is provided having a groove 9 at its periphery, and this camwheel has an inclined track 6. This cam wheel may conveniently be formedof two plates spaced apart to form the groove, and having helicaltongues partially punched out from its peripheral portion to form thehelical or inclined track. The main portion of the groove is horizontal,and its ends are open and are arranged out of line with each other.

The cam wheel 8 is mounted to revolve on a pin 10 secured to the base,and is revolved by any approved means. A toothed driving wheel 12 issecured to the hub of the cam is operatively connected with it.

A series of character wheels 15, 16 and 17 is provided, and these wheelsare, arranged in sets of three. They arespaced apart on the base aroundthe cam wheel, and are insulated from each other and from the cam wheel.Twenty-four character wheels may advantageously be provided. Thecharacter wheels are all similar to each other, and each one isjournaled in a bracket 18 which is secured to the base 7. Each separatecharacter wheel has teeth 19 which project radially from its periphery,and which are spaced at substantially equal distances apart. The teethof all the wheels have raised characters 19" on their ends, and thesecharacters correspond with the characters used in telegraphy, and whichare adapted to transmit or reproduce the standard dots anddashes. Theteeth 19 and the characters 19 are arrangedcrosswise on the wheels, sothat the characters of each wheel are all parallel to its axis and toeach other, and each character wheel is mounted'on a separate axis whichis out of line with the axes of all the other character wheels. Thewheel 15 has preferably 15 teeth; the wheel 16 has 16 teeth; and thewheel 17 has 17 teeth. The wheels are preferably arranged in the order15, 16, v17, 15, 16, 17, in sets of three. The groove in the cam wheelengages with the teeth of the character wheels, and the ends of the camgroove are arranged out of line to a predetermined extent so that eachcharacter wheel is revolved for the space of one of its teeth at eachrevolution of the cam wheel. The teeth engage looselywith the groove, sothat all the wheels are revolved step by step irrespective of the numberof their teeth.

The spring contact arm 20, of a make and break device, is secured to apillar 21 which projects from the cam wheel 8. The cam wheel ispreferably formed of metal, and the arm 20 has a projection 22 at itsfree end portion which engages with the raised characters 19' on theends of the wheel teeth. A spring contact piece 24 is also secured tothe free end portion of the arm 20, on the other side of it from theprojection 22. A contact screw 25 is mounted in a pillar 26 which isinsulated from the cam wheel 8 by insulation 27, and which is arrangedin circuit with a commutator plate 28 securedconcentric with the camwheel, and also insulated from it. An arch-shaped arm or brush 3Obearson the commutator plate 28, and is attached to a binding post 31 onthe base. The pillar 21 on the cam wheel is connected in circuit with abinding post 32 on the base, a line wire 33 being connected to the post32 and to the insulated pin 10 on which the cam wheel is journaled.

A suitable sender key 34, a sounder 35 and a battery 36 are provided,and are connected together and to the binding posts 31 and 32 in series,by line wires 38, as shown in Fig. 4c.

Ihe characters on the teeth of the character wheels engage with theprojection 22 on the spring arm of the make and break device, one afteranother, and vibrate the spring arm, so that the battery circuit iscompleted and closed, and the characters are reproduced audibly by thesounder. Characters selected from the character wheels of the series arereproduced one after another in the regular order of the series ofwheels and one from each wheel.

As the adjacent character wheels of each set have a different number ofteeth and characters, and as the wheels are revolved step by stepselectively, by the cam wheel, no two characters are reproduced in thesame sequence, except perhaps at such long intervals or time as to benegligible. The cam wheel causes a different character to be lined upwith the make and break device each time the circuit is closed so as toactuate the sounder. The character wheels 15, 16 and 17 forming eachset, of three wheels, are revolved step by step, but they are notrevolved synchronously. All the wheels of the series however having thesame number of said "characters being arranged parallel to each other,and each character wheel being mounted on a separate axis and certain ofthe said wheels having a different number of characters from the others,a single make and break device which is operated by all th'e'saidcharacters, and means tor'revolving the character wheels step by stepselectively and placing the selected characters in engagement -withthemake and break device in regular order.

'2. In a telegraph transmitter, a series of character wheels providedwith radial teeth having raised characters, said charactersbeing-arranged parallel to each other, and each character wheel beingmounted on a'separate axis-and certaino-f the wheels having a differ'entnumber of teeth and characters from step by step selectively and placingthe seincense lected characters in operative engagement with the makeand break device in regular order.

3. In a telegraph transmitter, a cam wheel, a series of character wheelsrevolved step by step by the cam wheel and having 7 raised characters,certain of the said wheels having a different number of characters fromthe others, a make and break device carried by the cam wheel, and meansfor revolving the cam wheel to place the make and break device inengagement with one character of each wheel one after another.

4. In a telegraph transmitter, a cam wheel having a peripheral groove, aseries of char acter wheels provided with teeth having raisedcharacters, said teeth engaging with the said groove so that the wheelsare revolved step by step, certain of the said wheels having a differentnumber of teeth and characters from the others, a make and break devicecarried by the cam wheel, and means for revolving the cam wheel to placethe make and break device in engagei'nent with the characters.

5. In a telegraph transmitter, a series of character wheels arrangedcircum ferentially around a common center in similar sets said wheelshaving raised characters, each character wheel being mounted on aseparate axis and having its characters arranged parallel to its axisand to each other, and the wheels comprising each set having each adi'fie rent number of characters, a single make and break device whichis operated by the said characters, and means for revolving thecharacter wheels step by step selectively and placing the selectedcharacters in operative engagement with the make and break device inregular order.

"6. In atelegr'aph transmittena wheel, a character wheel provided withteeth :having raised characters, said teeth engaging with the cam wheelone after another, a make and break device carried by the cam wheel, andmeans for revolving the cam wheel to rotate the character wheel step bystep and place the make and break device in engagement with adifi'e'rent character 'at' each revolution of the cam wheel.

'7. In a telegraph transmitter, a cam wheel having a peripheral fgrooveone portion of which is helical and which has 'epen ends arranged out ofline with each other, a character wheel provided with teeth havingraised characters, said teeth being engaged by the said groove one-afteranother, a make and break device carried by the cam wheel, and means forrevolving the 'cam wheel to place the make and'break device inengagement with the said character's one after another.

8. In a telegraph transmitter, a cam wheel,

a toothed character'wheel engaging with the cam wheel and having raisedcharacters, a

spring contact arm and a contact piece carried by the cam wheel andnormally insulated from each other, and means for revolving the camwheel to rotate the character Wheel step by step and to place the springarm in engagement with the said characters one after another and alsoclose the between the spring arm and the said contact piece.

9. In a telegraph transmitter, a cam wheel, a toothed character wheelengaging with the said cam wheel and having raised characters, a springarm and a contact piece carried by the cam wheel and normally insulatedfrom each other, a commutator arranged concentric with the cam wheel,and in circuit with the said contact piece, a brush arranged in contactwith the commutator, and means for revolving the cam wheel to actuatethe character wheel and to close the circuit, the said contact arm beingpressed against the said contact piece by means of the said characters.

10. In a telegraph transmitter, a cam wheel, a toothed character wheelrevolved step by step by the cam wheel and having raised characters onits periphery, a spring contact arm supported by the cam wheel andhaving a projection on one side for engaging with the said charactersand having a spring contact member on its other side, a contact piecesupported by the cam wheel adjacent to the said contact member, the saidspring arm and contact piece being normally insulated from each other,and'means for revolving the cam Wheel to revolve the character wheelstep by step and press a difl'erent character on the said projection,thereby actuating the spring arm and closing the circuit between thesaid spring contact member on the spring arm and the said contact piece.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

FREEMAN W. WRIGHT.

